Antiques Roadshow
by elloteenah
Summary: A little look into a possible Maddie backstory. Slight AU for that matter. Inspired by 16/07/14. Maddie is back from Devon and has a few antiques she'd like to share with Sophie.


**Another one-shot from me. It's light-hearted, little fluffy. Wanted to expand of the possibility of Maddie's backstory. Did not expect it to turn out this long. Inspired by the following quote. Enjoy :)**

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_"I cleaned the grottiest car I've ever seen this morning. It had a Pot Noodle in it that could have been on Antiques Roadshow."_

_ "When do you watch Antiques Roadshow?"_

_"Foster carer number six, Pam. She was obsessed. Took me carbooting every week—anyway, you watch Songs of Praise!_

_"No I do not!" _

Soon after she had arrived home, Maddie started to unpack. She was used to packing so much that she could do in such timing; she could probably get herself into the_ Guinness Book of World Records_. Before foster carer number three, Janet, Maddie and Ben used to read the books all the time. Maddie was convinced that with a little bit more money, Ben could hold the record for most _Ben 10_ memorabilia collected by a single person.

This time around though, Maddie didn't feel like unloading her belongings was such a chore. She liked where she was staying. She liked the person even more even if she did have a hard time showing it.

It was hard to leave her little brother but she knew he was happy with Helen and Mike. She had seen it firsthand but it still hurt to leave him. But at the same time it was a great opportunity for them to both have a fresh start and for Maddie to get her life sorted out.

Once she had hung up all her clothes, Maddie went over to the plastic bag tucked in the corner of her rucksack and retrieved it. Ben had told her not to open it until she got back to Manchester.

She looked inside and smiled at the content but she didn't want to look at what her brother had got for her alone. Just from glancing in the bag, there were some stories to be told and there was someone she wanted to share them with.

"Sophie, Sophie!" Maddie pondered down the stairs with the bag held out in front of her.

Sophie turned her head at the sound of her name but when she heard the rush of feet stampeding down the stairs at a record timing rate, she quickly turned her attention to the television she was watching, searching frantically for the remote that was next to her on the settee somewhere to change the channel.

"Are you watching _Songs of Praise_? Maddie stopped at the bottom of the stairs and gasped.

"No," Sophie tired to defend herself, desperate for the remote to change the channel but it always seemed it was only when Sophie was in a rush or embarrassed she'd be caught watching something she didn't normally, that the buttons on the controller didn't work.

But it was too late. Maddie had already heard the Christian hyme sung by a choir, she didn't to look at the TV to see that dressed on those dress things she didn't know the name of.

"You are!" Maddie mocked her. When she thought about the kind of person who would save her from life on the streets, she imagined a strong, rough person who she'd get into trouble with. Not a working, responsible young woman who enjoyed going to church. Still, she didn't complain. She liked their differences.

"I-I was waiting for—It's only until _Jeremy Kyle_ comes back on," Sophie tired to justify her actions. "I thought we could watch it together. Laugh at the pathetic stories."

Maddie burst out laughing. She enjoyed the show but today was not the day for it. She tried her best to walk over and sit down next to the brunette without falling over from Sophie's terrible excuse.

"It's a Sunday, Soph," Maddie pointed out along with a kiss on the blushing girl's cheek. "Jezza is only on weekdays."

Sophie admitted defeat. Instead of turning it over to something that was on a Sunday evening and they both enjoyed, she simply turned the telly off after seeing Maddie had something in her hand. "What's that?" she asked.

"It's a present from Ben. I thought we could open it together."

"Aw," Sophie cooed, touched Maddie wanted to include her in something related to her family.

Before Maddie emptied the bag, she and Sophie got comfortable on the living room floor. Legs crossed, sitting opposite each other, Maddie emptied the bag and spread the items out onto the carpet.

Sophie studied what was laid out in front of her. It was a bunch of toys and the odd scrap of fabric. She didn't understand what it all meant but Maddie was grinning like a child on Christmas morning.

"These are all the things me and Ben collected when we got to be with each other." Maddie started. "I got put into foster care when I was five. I remember the day like it was yesterday. Mum was caught growing drugs with her boyfriend in the flat so the CPS took me away. She used to tell me they were special flowers so i didn't understand why she being punished for that," Maddie swallowed. "They were both put in jail but Mum got out early for good behaviour after two years. In that time I had my first set of foster parents then they let me go a few months later."

Sophie had noticed Maddie watched the floor as she spoke about her childhood. Sophie didn't try to get her to look at her.

"She fell pregnant with Ben quickly after and I got to go back home because they thought she was responsible enough. I don't remember much about that time other than playing with Ben because I loved having a brother that much but then Mum changed in behaviour and got violent."

"Did you ever know your Dad?" Sophie asked softly. She had a tough childhood herself with her parents being on and off throughout her life but at least they were both in her life all the time.

"Me and Ben have the same Dad surprisingly. He came always came and went when it pleased him. I think that's one of the reasons Mum got violent, because he was," Maddie looked up to see Sophie with her mouth open. "He was never violent towards us, don't worry," Maddie quickly defend. Sophie breathed out a sigh of relief but it still had her in shock.

Maddie twiddled her fingers. She decided to shorten her life story and skip out a few parts, nothing serious just minor details. "It led to Mum being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and she was seen as a threat to her children so back to foster care it was. It got harder for me to get fostered because I started misbehaving. My attitude was terrible. I would smash things, hit the other kids because I was angry at my Mum. So me and Ben were separated but he would cry for me so we kept moving to foster homes that allowed us then Mum got better so it was back to being with her for a while," Maddie wiped a tear from her eye. She looked at Sophie for support who grabbed her hand in a second. "That's why I ended up on the streets, it was easier for me to be alone that watch Mum have a breakdown or Ben go back into care without me."

It was only when Maddie looked down in front of her that she remembered why she started crying in the first place.

"I was supposed to tell you where this stuff comes from, wasn't I?" Maddie giggled slightly through her tears. "They're little things we would buy or steal"—she waited for Sophie's disapproving reaction—"I know but we had no money." She responded. "This, we didn't get ourselves. Our first foster parents together—a married couple we called Mr and Mrs P," she picked up the tiny blanket, "knitted for each of us. They helped us sleep at night and they always said when it was time to let us go, to take them with us to remember them by." Maddie held it to her cheek then looked for a specific corner. "You can tell this one is mine because it has an 'M' stitched into it."

Sophie smiled at the little gesture. She pointed to the pile of mini toys Maddie had stacked up, wanting her to explain them next.

"They're all from those 20p machines you see in _Freshco_'s or outside corner shops," Maddie smiled then played with whatever was on top of the pile. "I wanted him to have as much to play with as he could."

Sophie smiled at the blonde with admiration in her eyes. She had a younger sibling to play with until Jack was born but she did have Rosie and although Rosie was clearly her Mum's favourite, her Dad always made sure Sophie didn't go without.. Again, she could imagine a world without her parents.

Maddie went on to explain a whole range of bits and bobs until she got down to the final item. One she had been saving for last.

"I can't believe he's given this to me," she whispered, running her fingers over the watch in her hand.

"What is it?"

"Have you ever watch _Ben 10_?" Sophie shook her head. "It's a cartoon about a ten-year-old called Ben," she gave away the title. "This watch is what he wears. It's like an alien device he uses to fight evil or something. It has a special name. Or-na-mix... no! O-nee-tricks... no! He'd kill me if he knew I couldn't remember what it's called—an Omnitrix, that's it!" Maddie fist pumped the air, congratulating herself for remembering and pronouncing it correctly. "He begged me to get him it for his tenth birthday. I'm surprised he's given it to me...," she tired her best to put it on using one hand. Sophie eventually had to help her.

She loved hearing the stories, they made her feel warm inside and that little bit closer to the girl she knew didn't like to talk about her growing up.

"Hey...," Sophie nudged her shoulder after she got the metal through the hole on the watch. "Want to see some embarrassing baby pictures of me?" Sophie said, thinking maybe Maddie could do with something to make her laugh after reminiscing although it had made Maddie smile.

"Go on then," Maddie smiled.

Sophie rushed off upstairs and it gave Maddie time to reflect on what she had talked about. She realised the one thing she didn't have anything of was photographs of her and Ben. She had the ones she'd had taken on her phone in Devon but none with her of them growing up.

"Okay, here we go," Sophie said when she returned. She wiped away any dust and put her hands on top of the albums. "I have no idea what's in most of these, if they are in order but let's find out!"

Maddie scooted closer to Sophie, ready for all things cute and embarrassing. The brunette slowly opened the first one and was greeted with an adorable snap of herself at about aged two, sitting on a table with cake all over her face.

"Aw! How cute was I?" Sophie gushed, having no shame in admitting to it.

"Yeah you were cute. But what are you wearing? It's a shame they don't do clothes on Antiques Roadshow, we could make a fortune!"


End file.
